The Republic of Thieves is the third book in Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastards series. I discovered the series through a series of readalongs hosted by The Little Red Reviewer, and had been anxiously waiting for the next installment.

This post will contain some minor spoilers from the first two books. If you are new to the series, see my review of The Lies of Locke Lamora instead. If you want more detailed reactions and analysis of The Republic of Thieves, see my readalong posts, beginning with The Republic of Thieves Readalong, Part I. And now, without further ado…

The Republic of Thieves picks right after Red Seas Under Red Skies leaves off. Locke is slowly dying of poison, and as desperately as he and Jean try, they can find no cure. At the last possible moment, the Bondsmagi show up, and offer to cure Locke if he agrees to help them rig an election in Karthain. When he arrives, he finds that his opponent is his long lost lover and rival, the beautiful redhead Sabetha.

As in the previous two books, Scott Lynch uses two main story arcs. In the present, we see Locke and Sabetha battling each other in the Karthani election. In the past, we see Locke and Sabetha’s awkward teenage years as the Gentleman Bastards pretend to be actors putting on a play. The flashbacks were a fantastic way to get to see more of some of our favorite characters who are no longer alive, and they helped relieve the tension, since we know that Locke, Jean, and Sabetha survive until the present.

In The Lies of Locke Lamora and The Republic of Thieves, the Gentleman Bastards’ adventures were relatively small-scale and contained. The Republic of Thieves brings their adventures into the context of the political and magical struggles taking place in the wider world. This time, Locke’s not just planning a get-rich-quick scheme, but instead is participating in real life events with real life implications. I’m excited to see where Scott Lynch decides to take the rest of the series; rumor has it that the next book will set up a civil war.

I adore the Gentelman Bastards. Scott Lynch differs from most epic fantasy writers and creates a rich world with loveable characters, crazy shenanigans, and some rather creative cursing. The Republic of Thieves was a splendid addition to the series, and I recommend reading it immediately.